Newsletter

BELUE: Can't wait for Bobby Cox and the 2010 Braves

Got a chance to sit down with Bobby Cox in his office and talk Braves baseball last week. We hit the scene here about the same time in 1978. That was his first season as the Braves manager and I was arriving at Georgia as a lowly freshman.

Anyway, we've crossed paths many times since then and I've always had great respect for the way he runs this team and how he handles people.

As I waited for the skipper to arrive, I had a chance to look around his office from my seat on the leather couch. This was the Braves' 12th season at Turner Field and Bobby has accumulated enough memorabilia and stuff that it will take days to clear out, after next season when he steps down as the manager.

The featured item hung on the wall over the couch. It was a framed Glavine, Smoltz, and Maddux print autographed personally by all three.

I got a kick out of seeing another framed photograph of Bobby speaking at the White House, after the Braves won the World Series in '95. You can see President Clinton off to the side and Chipper Jones looking sharp in a suit. That's a one-of-a-kind item. Signed balls, bats, hats were all over the place.

He walked in, greeted us with a hand-shake and we started talking about his Braves. You can tell Bobby has a passion for this job. And he's all about winning. I kept thinking about how special next season should be. It'll be Bobby's last year, in his Hall of Fame career. And after some tweaking of the roster, the 2010 Braves should be back playing postseason baseball in October.

The starting pitching will be among the best in baseball. But to be a serious contender, they've got to add some pop to the line-up. The kid, Jason Heyward, will bring some of that as he takes over in right field. Wait until you see this young man swing the bat. He's going to be special. Fran Wren will be shopping around for a new left fielder again. Garrett Anderson will be heading back to the American league to DH.

There is a big decision to be made on Adam LaRoche at first base. Another Braves prospect is close to being ready - Freddie Freeman - but he could be a year or two away. It would make sense to sign LaRoche to a two-year deal. Got to like the pop he brings to the line-up, he plays a smooth 1st base, and he fits in the clubhouse. Other teams might drive up his price. Keep an eye on that.

The back-end of the bullpen is up in the air. Both Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez are free to explore other opportunities. So, that's huge. Got to expect there will be plenty of competition for their services. Bobby is holding out hope they can re-sign one of them. Keep a close eye on this. They both love playing for Bobby and the Braves, but business is business.

Looks to me like the top of the line-up is set, with Nate McLouth and Martin Prado 1-and-2. Prado has earned the second base job and is a perfect fit as the No. 2 hitter.

Bobby is convinced Chipper will bounce back with a quality season and Brian McCann is a rock solid bat in the middle. Yunel Escobar has developed into one of the top shortstops in the game and he swings a mean bat, too.